


A Short Welcome

by nowolfcanknow



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Family, Gen, Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:06:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25031413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nowolfcanknow/pseuds/nowolfcanknow
Summary: Jon Snow (Aemon Targaryen) returns to the capital after being fostered in Winterfell.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	1. Ragged Claws

RHAEGAR I

The King stood and waited in the outer courtyard and his two Queens were with him. Protocol demanded it after all. Elia Martell was poised and proper, but he knew she'd dreaded this moment since he'd first broached the subject. Lyanna Stark on the otherhand was practically bouncing from excitement. 

In truth, so was he. He'd waited for this moment from the very first day he'd sent his second son away. Agreeing to foster the boy had been one of the hardest decisions he'd ever had to make. He'd done what was good for the realm, as he always had. But the decision still nagged at him.

The party making their way through his castle was clad in grey and grey banners were flapping in the spring breeze. It was early spring and winter still held some sway in the North.

They were close enough now to make out the banners as they wormed their way up to the upper courtyard. A variety of houses had formed the escort and he struggled to remember some of the smaller houses. But the great banner flying from the front was unmistakable. 

The direwolf of House Stark.

As they entered the courtyard, Rhaegar was took aback. He hadn't thought, not expected that he would make the trip. The Warden of the North started barking commands the moment he entered, and soon the great lords of the North were assembled in front of him. Lord Stark knelt, and his bannermen followed suit. A show, but protocol demanded it.

But Rhaegar only had eyes for the one who didn't kneel. The one who stood tall. Behind him his wife stood a little straighter too as he motioned the lords to their feet.

With that over the Northern Lords dispersed into the keep, leaving Lord Stark and his charge. The boy (man?) was tall and he had a swordsman's build. Dark brown hair had been cropped close to his head and a short beard framed his mouth. His eyes were so dark they seemed almost black in the light.

"Welcome to the capital, Lord Stark" the king spoke. He was eager to get this over with. "I trust the journey wasn't too taxing?"

"I thank you for the welcome, Your Grace. Once we were out of the North the roads were kind to us. I must thank you for the last grain shipment. It helped us greatly."

He'd known that whoever would come would mention it sooner than later. The last winter had been long, almost lasting a year, and the North had suffered greatly. As it always did. Rhaegar admired his good brother for cutting to the chase. He nodded and smiled. 

Aemon was looking at him.

"Shall we enter the Keep? I have a dinner prepared, and a feast for your Lords. Besides, I have children you haven't met"

His son and his wolf were the first to move.

EDDARD I

The Red Keep hadn't changed much since he had last been here, Eddard thought to himself. It was still a gloomy place. Torches lit the way to the upper chambers of Maegor's Holdfast.

The chamber they eventually came upon was very different however. Light and airy. Eddard was reminded of Winterfell for a moment, then he spied a tapestry of dragons fighting and remembered where he was.

He waited for the King and Queens (he never got used to that) to sit before taking his place beside his sister. In truth he rather thought he and his nephew should have been left to greet her in private, but he wasn't the King. Rhaegar clearly wanted a show of unity between his families.

His nephew was quiet, which wasn't unusual he supposed. But he'd barely spoken a word all day and he seemed tense now. Every few moments he would glance at the girl sat opposite him. A pretty girl on the cusp of womanhood with almost white hair and bright violet eyes, but her resemblance to her mother was unmistakable.

His sister was quiet too. That was unusual. Even as a child she would fill silences with chatter. Eddard hoped she would say something soon, as her eyes hadn't left her eldest son since they were introduced in the courtyard.

He dug in to the chicken he had been served. Gods he was starving. It was the heat, he supposed. He'd forgotten just how oppressive it was here in the capital. Even in doors and out of the baleful sun he felt sweat creeping down his arms. He missed his wife. He looked forward to a bath. At least he wasn't in Dorne.

AEMON I

He'd known that he had other siblings, of course. The ravens had bought the news both times. He'd even carved a little direwolf toy each time to send to them. But seeing the girl and boy in front of him was another matter. Seeing the King was another matter, too. His mother another thing entirely.

These were his parents. These were the ones who had sent him away to live with his aunt and uncle and his cousins. He knew he was being rude, but he didn't particularly care at the moment.

He just didn't really know what to say. It was like that time Sansa had told him he was handsome, or whenever one of the guardsmen or washerwomen called him a Prince only a hundred times worse. All this was for him. The people had lined the streets to see him arrive in the capital. He didn't know why, and wished they hadn't.

He wished he was back in Winterfell, sparring with Robb and Theon. Or riding in the wolfswood with Arya. He wished he was still just another Stark.

But he wasnt. He'd known his entire life that he was different from his cousins, that his birth marked him out for all to see. He even looked like a Stark, though. More so than Robb or Bran, even little Rickon. Now he was surrounded by people who looked like him and he felt uncomfortable.

The little boy was jabbering away as he ate, too young to pick up on the tension. He was sure the girls felt it though.

"How do you like the capital, brother?" Rhaenys asked in an effort to break the tension. Aemon looked down the table and looked her in the eyes as he replied. He didn't want to appear ruder than he already did.

"It's very hot, Princess" he said "I'm afraid I'm not used to such weather, or seeing so many people"

"You'll get used to it in time" that was his mother. The first words she'd spoken since the introductions in the courtyard. "I did. Eventually."

Jon looked at her and forced a smile on his face.

LYANNA I

Lyanna felt her breath catch in her throat. Her son had just smiled at her, like he had in the early days before they were forced apart. Gods he looked like his father when he smiled.

"I suppose it can be a shock to the senses" Rhaegar said from beside her. "Dragonstone is much cooler."

Lyanna fought the urge to roll her eyes. Hardly a conversation went by without her husband mentioning his childhood home.

"Am I to see Dragonstone, father?"

It took a moment for Rhaegar to reply. Like he was choosing his worde carefully.

"If you'd like to. Aegon wanted to be here, but spring storms kept him on the island. You have an open invitation to visit him."

Lyanna didn't know that. Aegon had been living on Dragonstone nearly six years now. He visited occasionally, but by all accounts he loved the island fortress as much as Rhaegar did. The strange Prince was loathe to accept strangers and his little brother was a topic of conversation that the Prince tended to avoid.

"I'd like that" he replied and looked down at his plate. He'd barely touched the meal.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Elia asked her son.

"It's splendid, Your Grace, I'm just not particularly hungry right now" Aemon replied "I had a large breakfast."

Elia Martell was still a relative unknown to her, even after all these years. Things had thawed between them when Aegon had left for Dragonstone and they were even friendly these days. As friendly as competing Queens could be, she supposed. But Aemon being here would change things she knew. It had been her idea to foster Aemon in the North and Elia had an acid tongue when it suited her.

The awkward dinner continued.

VISENYA I

She wondered what she had done to upset him. She'd hardly spoken to her elder brother throughout the dinner. Had her quick looks offended him? Should she have said more? Said less? What had she done wrong?

As she wound her way to her room she pondered her new brother and her uncle too. At first glance the two appeared to be father and son, but Visenya had been taught to and believed in taking more than a first glance.

Her brother looked like her father. It was in his jaw and in his eyes. They were much darker than her father's but they had the same shape. He was tall, too, but pretty much everyone was taller than her anyway.

He was quiet. Almost intolerably so for her, but she tried not to judge him too harshly. She wanted Aemon to like her and fought any prejudices she had towards him down. It wasn't his fault that she was outgoing. Her father was the same.

She looked up at the last moment and noticed he was coming her way. She almost crashed into him. What was he doing here?

"I'm sorry" he said quickly "I should have been looking where I was going."

"That's alright. I should have been doing the same."

They just stood there looking at each other. Neither knowing what to say or do next. Finally it was her new brother who broke the silence.

"I was going to the Godswood" he finally said "Would you care to join me, sister?"

Visenya smiled.

"I'd love to."


	2. Business of the Realm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aemon seeks his gods.

RHAEGAR II

"I sent you away with a babe. You bring me back a man."

"Aemon is a good lad." Eddard replied "He may be quiet, but he listens well."

Rhaegar regarded the man sitting opposite. The years had been kind to Eddard Stark, and he had grown into his role as Lord of Winterfell. Perhaps he had always been suited to it what with his upbringing in the Vale.

The last time the two had spoken alone they had been weeks from being enemies in Robert's Rebellion. The short meeting where Eddard had agreed to foster Aemon in the North had stuck in his memory. They were in the same room now.

"How is the North? Truly. I know winter was harsh this time" Rhaegar asked.

"Winter is always harsh, Your Grace"

Rhaegar allowed that. It was a stupid comment.

"The West Coast suffered more than most" Eddard continued "The snows wrecked many of the roads, many of our more isolated castles and towns neared starvation, like Bear Island. The shipments you sent did help."

The shipments had been Lyanna's idea, truly. She had come to him once winter entered it's fifth month with no sign of ending soon. Said that the North would starve without the crown's help. Rhaegar had agreed and had even taken a loan from the Iron Bank of Braavos to help cover the costs, though his coffers were still overflowing with gold from his father's time. There was much grumbling from the lords of court, but the Reach had been happy to supply the grain, and ships had carried it North to White Harbour. 

Eddard didn't need to know about the loans, he decided. If he did he would offer to repay them, and Rhaegar well knew that the North had never been rich in gold. Better for him to believe in the power of the Reach's harvest.

"Your Grace I must mention the Nights Watch. They talk of wildlings gathering, there's a new King Beyond the Wall, and darker things too. There are more and more deserters, whether they go one side of the Wall or the other. I had to behead one shortly before I left. They need help."

"I saw the Wall once, you know? I visited my great uncle Aemon at Castle Black when my father visited Winterfell. I never believed the stories until I first saw it." Rhaegar replied "If I can help them, I will. I shall offer the Wall to all in the dungeons, and I'll set aside time for a meeting with the Small Council to discuss other ways to aide the Watch."

"That would be helpful, Your Grace"

"You mentioned darker things."

"There's talk of the Others. Sightings even, if the words of the last deserter I beheaded can be believed." Eddard replied.

Rhaegar mulled this over for a while.

"What do you believe, Lord Eddard? Can this be more than talk?"

"I believe Winter is coming, Your Grace" was all he could say in reply.

AEMON II

His sister led the way, of course. She chattered constantly on the way and he was painfully reminded of Arya. She even looked like her, other than the hair and the eyes. He didn't particularly want to think of his favourite cousin much. He missed her too much.

As they entered the Godswood he couldn't help but but be disappointed. He'd hoped for a wild place of solitude. Somewhere he could sit and think over the day and get to know his sister better. 

What he found was a well tended garden. There were a few trees, he saw, but it was mostly made up of a hedge maze and different flowers. The heart tree was a joke, merely an old oak tree. And the place was packed with people as it was still early in the day. There were even benches for them to sit and rest at.

Aemon and Visenya found a quiet corner.

"You follow the Old Gods, then?" She asked

"Aye. Lady Catelyn made sure I was educated on the Faith, but I've never felt much love for the New Gods. My Gods simply are, they don't need fancy books and chanting. Begging your pardon."

"That's alright. I hold the Faith dear to me, but I worship the Old as well. Mother insisted. Does Winterfell truly have a forest inside its walls? With a weirwood at their centre?"

"Yes. It was my favourite place in the castle. There's a little pool beside it. It's very quiet there." He replied

"A good fit for you, then" Visenya teased. Aemon smiled slightly in response.

"I suppose, my Princess"

It was getting awkward again. Aemon let his gaze wander up to the Red Keep.

"There's no need for that you know. The formality. Mother hates it and so do I. Not even Aegon insists on being called Prince amongst family." Visenya said when she couldn't bare the silence any longer. She was well used to dealing with brooding Targaryen men.

"I hated it too. In Winterfell, I mean." Aemon replied after a moment. "I'm just Aemon. The Prince thing I can't help."

"Well then, just Aemon. Tell me about Winterfell. Tell me about our family."

And so he did.

JON ARRYN I

As Hand of the King, it was Jon Arryn's job to aid his king in all matters. Jon hated it, of course, but he did his duty. It had been his duty to take on the role, it had ended a war after all. And if he reflected on it, Rhaegar wasn't a bad king to serve as Hand. He was solid in his convictions and saw his words through. He always did what he felt was best for the realm. He had to, considering how he had won his throne.

But at times like this, he truly missed the isolation of the Eyrie. If Rhaegar I Targaryen had one fault, just one true fault, it was his faith in myth and legend. In magic.

Jon Arryn had no use for magic. So as his king filled his council in on the word from the North, the talk of the wildlings worried him far more than that of the Others. He was well used to dealing with the aftermath of raids from the hill tribes of the Vale, and they weren't far removed from those trapped on the other side of the Wall.

"This Mance Rayder. What do we know of him, Your Grace" he asked once Rhaegar was finished. That earned him a sharp glance from the King, as he had basically ignored most of what the King had spoken of.

"A former Ranger of the Nights Watch. He abandoned his post." The King replied "And this talk of the Others?"

"The White Walkers have been gone for 8000 years, Your Grace. They haven't been sighted since, if they ever existed at all." came the reply from Jon Connington, the Master of Laws.

"If the histories are to be believed, they did more than exist, Jon" Rhaegar replied, and he looked to the Grand Maester. "Has the official stance of the Citadel become that they were always a story?"

"No, my king" Marwyn replied.

The new Grand Maester was an enigma to Jon. He'd been sent by the Citadel a year ago after Rhaegar had retired Pycelle. He had demanded a younger man to take his place, and Marwyn was what they had sent. Jon cursed them for it. The strange man encouraged Rhaegar too much, and the two were often to be found hunched over some old scroll or book discussing prophecy and ancient history.

"Then are we to just ignore my good brother?" The King asked his council.

"Your Grace, whether it's wildlings or White Walkers, the Watch clearly needs some assistance" Jon replied after a moment. "Ned wouldn't lie, nor ask without reason."

LYANNA II

Somehow, Lyanna knew her son would find her before she found him. While she was as outgoing as her daughter she knew that Aemon needed time. So when a messenger told her that her eldest children had gone to the Godswood, she didnt follow.

Instead she went to find her brother.

She found him in his rooms, writing a letter. Her brother had smiled as he looked up when she entered, and he swiftly put his quill aside.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important"

"Just letters to Catelyn and my children. They all made me promise to write." Ned replied.

"How is Catelyn?" Lyanna asked as she took a seat. Lyanna hadn't spent much time with her good sister, but she liked her.

"She's well. We were talking about trying for another babe" Ned said "I would welcome it."

"And your children?" She asked

"Fine. Robb grows taller every day it seems."

This was how it had always been between them. Ned had always been a man of few words. It had grown only worse in his time in the Vale, and age and responsibility hadn't changed him much.

"My son loves you. I can tell"

"And I love him. I couldn't have asked for a better ward." Ned smiled as he spoke. "He takes his duties too seriously at times, but he's a good lad even if it does take a while for him to drop his guard. Quiet, aye, but he has a good heart. You'll see that in time. He's just shocked by the capital."

"I hope so" Lyanna replied.

Ned just laughed.

"You're not jealous? You're his mother, he'll come to you in time. He was always full of questions about you."

"But what if he holds what we did to him against us? I know Rhaegar is worried about it too. We sent him away, Ned." Lyanna said, finally speaking aloud the anxieties that had been plaguing her since her husband had sent for their first son.

"You stopped a war. Dorne wouldn't abide him in the capital at the time. You remember how it was. Aemon understands that, or if he doesn't he will in time. He's a smart lad, Lyanna, always with a book when he isn't training or playing. He won't hold it against you, or at least not so you'd know about it. It isn't his way. You're his family."

"I hope you're right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to miss out Aemon (Jon) and Lyanna. I started writing it with Ned and it took over. Aemon will speak with both his parents.
> 
> I'm really new to writing fanfiction, so any reviews would be kindly appreciated.


	3. The Bastard Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aemon finds some peace and quiet.

RHAEGAR II

He was on the throne looking down on them all.

The Northern Lords were still watching him. They and Lord Stark were clustered in a group, looking decidedly bored and uncomfortable in the throne room. He didn't blame Eddard, nor his lords. He couldn't remember the last time a Northerner had attended court.

The long line of supplicants was dwindling now and it was time for the peasants. It was a custom he had bought in, much to the consternation of many a Lord. Each time court was held, there was always time set aside to hear from the smallfolk.

The aeldorman he was hearing from now was from a small village near Rosby. He was representing a baker who had taken in a young foreigner from Pentos as an apprentice. Now it turned out the boy was an escaped slave, and slave hunters had tracked him across the Narrow Sea and were threatening to cross to retrieve him.

"Yer'Grace the good baker has a daughter and the two..." the aeldorman spoke and gestured with his hands. Rhaegar stifled a laugh with a cough. The meaning was clear.

"So the baker wants the two to be wed. The two are in love. I don't see a problem."

Rhaegar waited a moment before continuing. His grip curled around one of the molten blades of the Iron Throne.

"Let the two be wed. With my blessing. And if these slave hunters do appear, send them to me. I will show them how we treat slavers here in the Seven Kingdoms." Rhaegar announced.

AEMON III

He'd found himself an out of the way room so he could practice. Ghost was dozing near the door. He was so busy with the blade that he didn't hear his mother enter the room with Ser Arthur Dayne in tow.

"It's a fine blade." She announced and he stumbled slightly. He spun around and looked at her with a flushed face and a curse that he stifled once he saw who it actually was. "May I see it?"

"Arya likes swords too." Aemon said with a smile as he approached "I taught her what I could."

"Ned said the girl looks like me?" Lyanna replied

"To me, its the other way around" Aemon said "She's taller than you, though you're more of a Lady."

"If my lord father could hear that, he'd be pleased." She said, now looking at the sword with an expectant look on her face. "Though I'm not sure it was a compliment."

Your lord father would probably be pleased if he could hear anything at all, Aemon thought to himself. He's dead.

Aemon offered the sword to his mother. She took it and almost dropped it. The bastard sword had been too heavy for him as well in the beginning, but whenever he'd complained to Ser Rodrik the old knight had always claimed he was more suited to the hand and a half sword and that he'd grow into it. He'd loathed the big sword at first, but he grew to like it. It offered more choices than a simple longsword.

Lyanna finally raised the blade up holding it with two hands. Aemon had to stifle a laugh as she swung it around her. It was comical. She had no idea what she was doing and the blade was much too big for her, but she had spirit. Ser Arthur caught his eye and smiled.

"You've been avoiding me." She said after a moment of play "And your father."

Aemon said nothing. It was true, in the past two and a half days that he'd been there he had gone out of his way to make himself scarce. He didn't know what to say to his parents, he didn't know what was expected of him in the grand castle. It was much easier to go off and explore or talk with Visenya, or even Uncle Eddard, than either of his parents.

"No, I haven't. We've just been in different places."

Lyanna rolled her eyes and chuckled as he went quiet. She swung the heavy sword again and waited for him to speak.

"You're the Queen. He's the King. What am I meant to say to you?" He asked in a smaller voice than he meant.

"You dont have to say anything, Aemon. Not if you don't want to. We just want to get to know you."

You wouldn't have to get to know me if you hadn't sent me away, he thought to himself but he said nothing.

"You know you really should have a guard of your own."

Aemon blanched at that. 

"So you can keep tabs on me? I never had guards in Winterfell!"

"You're a Prince of House Targaryen. And you're not in Winterfell anymore, my son" was all she said in reply. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Do the other children have Kingsguard following them around all day?" He asked Ser Arthur hotly.

"Sometimes, my Prince. Your little brother is mostly in Maegor's Holsfast so he doesn't need guarding. It depends where in the castle they're going and how many White Swords are available. There are six in the capital at the moment, more than enough to guard the family. Ser Jaime is on Dragonstone with the Crown Prince." the Sword of the Morning replied.

The idea galled him. To have a knight wasting his time looking after him! He was nearly a man grown! He didn't need guarding.

"Wouldn't whichever knight was available be better off guarding the King?"

"Ser Barristan has the King most days." Was all the knight said in reply. That seemed to settle that.

"We won't insist upon it but it would make me feel better." Lyanna said to her son once he calmed down. She'd known and hoped for such a response, it was better than sullen silence. She got enough of that from his father. "Why are you in this dusty old room? You can train wherever you'd like, within reason, even with the Kingsguard. Your father does, sometimes."

"It was empty. It's quiet." Aemon replied "Can I really train with the Kingsguard?"

Lyanna approached Ghost softly and allowed the wolf to sniff at her again before she started scratching his ears.

"If you're up early enough I don't see why any of them would mind." She said in return as Ghost stood to his full height. "Isn't that right, Arthur?"

"It would be an honour, Your Grace"

BARRISTAN I

"Your mother told me I'd find you here" the King spoke as they entered the empty old storeroom. The Prince stopped his practice immediately and stood at attention, sword held lightly at his side. Poor boy.

"Told me you'd asked about training with the Kingsguard."

His king stopped and turned to Barristan with an expectant look on his face.

"You would be most welcome, my Prince. I remember Rodrik Cassel from the Siege of Pyke. A fine knight."

"He always spoke highly of you, Ser" the Prince replied. He seemed ill at ease, though he seemed to take the confirmation well. Silly boy, the Kingsguard were practically fighting amongst themselves to train the boy. They had had monthly reports about the boy's prowess with the sword since he was a small child. The news had always been glowing with praise. The Prince didn't need to know that, however.

The King smiled at his son after a moment of silence.

"I'm afraid we'll be caught in the next winter if we wait for the other to speak like this."

The Prince coloured slightly before he realized his father was joking. He smiled.

"I'm sorry. I've just never had to talk to a King before" the Prince said softly. Barristan knew what he meant was he'd never had to talk to his father like this before. He knew that Rhaegar understood that too.

Rhaegar waited a moment, as if he was making a decision.

"Ser Barristan, I require your sword"

The Prince's eyes widened as he realized what the King meant, but he quickly recovered.

"Father this is castle forged steel. Not a training blade."

Rhaegar merely chuckled at that as he took the longsword from Barristan's hands. The King took an open stance in front of his son and held the blade deftly between the two.

"Come. Show me what you can do, boy."

The Prince only hesitated a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for my first shot at fanfiction. I have more stories in this series planned, which will have far more action and politics than this, but I hope you liked it!

**Author's Note:**

> Up next: A trip to the Godswood, a small council meeting and a conversation between mother and son.


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